Reminder: Join us online today for the LMS Review project information session. Hosted by executive project sponsors, Bruce Campbell, CIO, and David DeVidi, Associate Vice-President, Academic, this session will take place Thursday, September 22, 2022, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Join us via Teams Webinar to learn more about this project and participate in a Q&A session.
Be sure to use this project invitation link to add the event to your calendar!
What is happening? The University’s current contract with the learning management system (LMS) provider D2L Brightspace (LEARN) is set to expire October 31, 2023. As per Policy 17 – Quotations and Tenders, a renewal of the D2L Brightspace contract, or the signing of a new contract with an alternate LMS provider, requires the University to initiate a publicly advertised competitive bidding process. This legal requirement ensures fair market competition for all potential vendors.
What does this mean to me? The approaching end of the current LMS contract provides an opportune time to conduct a review of the LEARN environment to help us better understand how the system may or may not be meeting the needs and expectations of our campus community. To support this work, members of Information Systems & Technology (IST), Centre for Extended Learning (CEL), and Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) have launched the Learning Management System (LMS) Review project, the outcome of which will inform a recommendation for moving forward with Waterloo’s LMS environment, including an approach to licensing and resources to support a transition, should the University change LMS vendors.
How can I learn more or provide feedback? Please note the following opportunities to learn more about this project and provide your feedback:
- LMS Review project information session
- Hosted by executive project sponsors, Bruce Campbell, CIO, and David DeVidi, Associate Vice-President, Academic, this session will take place Thursday, September 22, 2022, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Join us via Teams Webinar to learn more about this project and participate in a Q&A session. Be sure to use this project invitation link to add the event to your calendar!
- LMS Review survey
- During the week of September 26, 2022, all University employees and students will receive an email invitation to complete the LMS Review survey and provide feedback on the LEARN environment.
- Stakeholder consultations and environmental scan
- Project team members have also connected with, or will soon connect with, LEARN “power users”, LEARN support staff, and areas that have a unique use case for the platform. Consultations with faculty and students will be held during the fall term; additional information about these sessions will be shared in October. The project team has also completed an environmental scan to understand what other learning management systems are available and the features/functions they offer. Team members also consulted with other Universities who have recently undertaken an LMS review to learn from their experiences.
- LMS Review project page
Questions or concerns: Please submit questions about this project to Pam Fluttert, Director, Instructional Technologies and Media Services (ITMS), IST.